Daisy Campbell has been axed from 'Emmerdale' after 13 years.
Daisy Campbell is leaving Emmerdale
The 21-year-old actress was called into a meeting in May and left "in shock" when she was told the show would be saying goodbye to her character Amelia Spencer before Christmas, but she was eventually understanding that bosses had run out of storylines for her following the departures of her on-screen family, including Samson Dingle (Sam Hall), the father of her alter ego's daughter Esther.
She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “It wasn’t my choice to leave Emmerdale and it was a shock at first. Being in Emmerdale is all I have ever known. I’ve spent the whole of my childhood growing up in the soap and it felt daunting.
“Once they explained, I totally got it. Amelia isn’t part of the Dingles, her dad has left, Samson has gone now and she doesn’t have any family. There is nowhere to take Amelia and I understand that.
"I feel incredibly lucky to have been in the soap for 13 years and to have been handed so many opportunities at such a young age."
Although she was told the news some time ago, Daisy has kept it quiet until now because she needed time to "grieve" and for two months, she only told her close friends and co-stars Rosie Bentham, Katie Hill, and Jack Downham.
She said: “They were upset for me but so supportive. I didn’t tell the rest of the cast my news initially as I wanted the time to process everything. I needed time to grieve the part of Amelia,.
"I had worried so much about how I was going to tell people I was going and now I know I shouldn’t have! They were all brilliant.”
And having processed the news, Daisy is "excited" about what the future holds.
She said: “Obviously it was a shock at first but now I have had time to digest it all, I am really excited. 'Emmerdale' has actually done me a favour because I would never have left if they hadn’t decided there was no longer anywhere to take Amelia.
“I am glad it was their choice and not mine. I see it as a big positive now because it is such a great chance to push myself, start a new chapter away from 'Emmerdale' and take on hopefully some new parts. I am really excited about what lies ahead.”
Exact details of her departure storyline are being kept secret but Daisy confirmed Amelia - who is currently in a relationship with evil Tom King (James Chase) - won't be killed off.
She said: “I am pleased the door is being left open. But I can’t say too much about how she leaves.”